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- Thank You Tamworth!!
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2007 Tamworth Festival Dates
Friday January 19th to Sunday, January 28th.
The Festival Countdown will
run from Friday, January 12th to Thursday, January 18th.
2006 CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia, - 27th January 2007 -
Information Centre - 02 6767 5300
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- Tamworth Country Music
Festival 2006
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- Tickets for Wests Entertainment on sale from 1st December
2005
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John Elliott’s new book
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John Elliott’s new book Where Country Is: a pictorial history of
the past 20 years of Australian Country Music celebrates the
artists and musicians who are the Australian country music family.
Featuring the history of Australian country music from 1985 to
2005, the book includes historical highlights, artist biographies
and boasts more than 200 pictures of Australia’s favourite country
music artists including the legendary Slim Dusty, Smoky Dawson,
Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, John Williamson, Chad Morgan, Jimmy
Little, Kasey Chambers, Graeme Connors, Tania Kernaghan, Beccy
Cole, Gina Jeffreys, Troy Cassar-Daley and many more.
“It is in the faces of those who love, live and cherish country
music that the true spirit of Australian Country can be
experienced,” said a spokesman for the publishers.
“John Elliott, a well known and celebrated writer and
photographer, has captured this in his photographs and writings
about the music he loves from when he was a young boy from
Blackall listening to Slim Dusty sing about the country where he
lived.”
Joy McKean, author of the forward, describes the book as “a
remarkable picture of country music seen through (John’s) eyes
over a considerable number of years; heard by his discerning ears,
and recorded through the lens of his camera.”
John Elliott will be on hand to personally sign copies of the book
at the launch, as will some of the artists he has photographed. An
exhibition of photographs from the book will be featured in the
foyer of the Toyota Country Theatre at the Tamworth Regional
Entertainment Centre for the duration of the Festival.
Country Music Capital News, the publication that shows “where
country is” every month is giving away a copy of John Elliott’s
book with every subscription to Capital News. The book is also
available on line at
www.ruralbookshop.com.au or
can be ordered by calling 1800 656 028.
“John Elliott’s book is a must for all those involved and
interested in the country music industry,” the publishers say.
Click here for info on Manilla
Talent Quest and Karaoke Quest
Coke Park
For more information about Grass Roots Walk Up Entertainment call
Craig Byrne on 0418 472898.
Applications for the Coca-Cola Battle of the Bands can be
submitted to Cheryl at Capital News on 02 67 622 399.
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Attention Bush Poetry Fans!
If you would like to know more about the competition, or would like to
enter,
please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Jan Morris, PO Box
3001
West Tamworth 2340.
Jan Morris
Organiser
For further information phone (02) 6765 9478
- Wallis and Matilda (John Wallis and
Colin Perkins )
(25th anniversary of their release of Clancy of the Overflow)
- Smoky’s Bar and Grill
from Anna Rose
Click here for Photos
Smoky’s Bar and Grill opened on Tuesday night in Tamworth at the
all-new Wests’ Diggers Club. Beccy Cole, Adam Harvey, Gina
Jeffreys and Adam Brand were flown in for the occasion, along with
visiting VIPs from Sydney and several local illuminaries, but the
night belonged to the restaurant’s namesake, Smoky Dawson MBE AM.
The veteran entertainer, at 92 years young, was overwhelmed by his
warm reception, as young and old alike clambered to shake hands
with a living legend. Each of the artists arrived in
chauffeur-driven style, with all the fanfare of an event like the
ARIAS. As the cars pulled up outside the Kable Ave club they were
greeted by the effusive Channel Ten weatherman Tim Bailey, as he
prepared to return to Sydney newsroom anchorman Ron Wilson for a
series of live crosses.
Click here for Photos
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- Further information can be downloaded from the Toyota Star Maker
page on the Capital News website
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“THE STARS OF
FANFEST 2006” CD – A FANFEST FIRST!
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY TOYOTA
To celebrate it’s 8th year, the organizers of the Toyota FanFest
series of concerts in Tamworth during the January country music
festival, have announced the release of the first in a series of CD’s
featuring some of the great artists appearing on Toyota FanFest.
“The Stars of FanFest 2006” will be released nationally on January
15th through Vital/Rajon and features 21 tracks from the following
Toyota FanFest performers:
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David Lee Murphy, Harley Smith, Paul Costa,
Tom Curtain, Felicity Urquhart, Travis Collins, Mike Carr,
SweeneyKilleen, Michael Fix, Jetty Road, Samantha McClymont, Camille
Te Nahu and Stuie French, Davidson Brothers, Jane Saunders, Peter
Denahy,
Jake Nickolai, Amber Lawrence, Neil Murray, Billy Bridge, Drew Womack,
Tracy Coster.
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FanFest spokesperson, Meryl Gross, said “this
is going to be the ultimate tastemaker package and souvenir of Toyota
FanFest 2006. It is a great introduction to many of these new artists
who are destined to become the stars of tomorrow. Each Toyota FanFest
concert provides the opportunity for fans to experience 3 hours of
great country music in air conditioned comfort with numbered seating.
Every year the audience numbers increase and they return each year
knowing that they will see a quality show, top class performers and
have the opportunity to meet them all after the concert.”
“The Stars of FanFest 2006” will retail for $19.95 (Incl. GST) – great
value!
Profits from this release go to Support Act Limited (the music
industry benevolent fund)
Tickets for the Golden
Guitar Awards will go on sale on 1st November 2006.
www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/ticketsales
phone 0267675300
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- Toyota Star Maker –
launching pad for the stars
One of the biggest questions during the lead-up to the
annual Telstra Tamworth Country Music Festival is: who will be the
young country singer catapulted to fame and a professional career
as the winner of Toyota Star Maker?
And the 2006 question will be answered when the curtain falls at
the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre (TREC) on Sunday, 22
January.
Since 1989, Toyota Star Maker has been identifying and launching
new talent into the ranks of country music professionals.
The winner’s prize offers a chance to follow in the footsteps of
previous winners like Lee Kernaghan, Keith Urban, James Blundell,
Gina Jeffreys, Darren Coggan, Beccy Cole, Brendon Walmsley and
many others.
“More than enough to keep aspiring country music stars lining up
for a tilt at the big one,” according to Barry Harley, General
Manager of organisers, Rural Press Events (RPE).
“Already, with entries closing just weeks away on October 31,
there has been an avalanche of entries from all over Australasia.”
Included in the Toyota Star Maker nomination list are many winners
of regional and state talent quests such as the Maton Talent
Search at the Toyota National Country Music Muster (Gympie),
Queensland Champion of Champions, the Victorian Champion of
Champions and the NSW/ACT Champion of Champions.
Others aspirants come from the Country Music Association of
Australia College of Country Music.
“For the winner of the Grand Final, Toyota Star Maker offers more
than just a big budget recording session, a list of professional
gigs, a Bose Personal Amplifier system and the use of a Toyota
vehicle with fuel card for 12 months,” Barry said.
“It gives them a unique opportunity to be recognised and endorsed
by true professionals of the Australian country music industry; a
chance to showcase their talents throughout the nation and as a
nominee in the following years Country Music Awards of Australia.
“Above all, Toyota Star Maker offers winners a one-off opportunity
to leapfrog their peers straight into the ranks of Australia's
music professionals. No wonder the hopefuls line up in their
hundreds!”
Entrants to Toyota Star Maker must be over 18 and have a CD
recording of at least two tracks (personally funded).
A panel of industry experts narrows the entrant number down to a
top 20 who are then invited to Tamworth to compete on Sunday, 22
January.
Ten Grand Finalists are selected from the 20 to do battle the same
evening for the Toyota Star Maker title at the TREC.
Toyota Star Maker 2006 entry forms please can be obtained direct
from RPE on 02 6762 2399, by emailing
starmaker@ruralpress.com . They can also be downloaded
from the Toyota Star Maker page on the Capital News website
www.capitalnews.com.au .
- Tamworth Songwriters
association
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- Classic Country
in a
class of it's
own
JOHN STEPHAN
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Nominations open for 2006
Australian Bush Laureate Awards
Nominations have opened for the 2006
Australian Bush Laureate Awards to be staged as part of the
January 2006 Telstra Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Nominations are open to verse recorded and published between
October 1, 2004 and September 30
Awards are presented in five categories... Book of the Year,
Original Verse Book of the Year, Album of the Year, Single
Recorded Performance of the Year and the special Judith Hosier
Heritage Award.
The Australian Bush Laureate Awards
were instigated in 1996 to recognise excellence in published
and recorded Australian bush poetry.
Past winners have included Frank Daniel, Kelly Dixon, Slim Dusty,
Ray Essery, Gary Fogarty, Marco Gliori, Janine Haig, Murray Hartin,
Jim Haynes, John Kane, Mark Kleinschmidt, Bob Magor, Keith
McHenry, Bob Magor, Bob Miller, The Naked Poets, Dobe Newton,
Carmel Randle, Ray Rose, Alli Ryan, Bill Scott, Bruce Simpson, R M
Williams and Roderick Williams.
The recording and publishing of bush poetry continues to grow, as
evidenced by the quality of Australian Bush Laureate Award winners
and entries over the last few years.
Winners are presented with an attractive, finely crafted sculpture
of a pen in the shape of a gumleaf giving the trophy the name “the
Golden Gumleaf”.
Nomination forms and further details are available from Australian
Bush Laureate Awards at PO Box 73, Tamworth, 2340, by telephoning
0427 653 422, by emailing
info@bushlaureate.com
- Entries open for
Toyota Star Maker
The annual star search, the country’s oldest and most successful,
has been responsible for giving the nation many of today’s country
stars.
In the current national singles chart – Country Tracks Top 30 –
for example, no less than six of the entries are from former Star
Maker winners – James Blundell, Beccy Cole, Travis Collins,
Samantha McClymont and Australia’s own international superstar
Keith Urban (who has two tracks on the chart).
When combined with the likes of Lee Kernaghan, Kate Ballantyne and
Lyn Bowtell (now starring in Bella with Star Maker finalist Karen
O’Shea), Darren Coggan, Gina Jeffreys and Brendon Walmsley, the
star-making power of Australia’s most prestigious country music
talent quest becomes clear.
So how does it all happen?
Each year, Toyota Star Maker invites aspiring country music
stars to compete for a range of opportunities that will provide a
substantial career boost for the winner.
Toyota Star Maker is not a talent competition, it is a search,
through competition, for an individual who has the greatest
potential to take advantage of the opportunities offered in the
Toyota Star Maker prize package.
The message is – “If you are ready to take the next big step,
enter and you could join previous winners of Toyota Star Maker on
the ride of your life.”
The Toyota Star Maker 2006 prize package included use of the title
Toyota Star Maker 2006, a big budget two-track recording session,
distribution and promotion of those tracks to radio and other
media, 250 copies of a CD featuring the two recorded tracks,
production of a video clip of one of the tracks, media promotion
including monthly exposure in Country Music Capital News,
guaranteed performance bookings at a designated list of events
including country music festivals at Tamworth, Gympie and Mildura,
invitations to a designated list of industry events, a Toyota Star
Maker winner's jacket, a special showcase performance following
the Toyota Star Maker Grand Final in 2007, use of a fully serviced
Toyota motor vehicle, a fuel card for the 12 months after winning
Toyota Star Maker and a new BOSE Personalised Amplification System
(PAC).
Artists seriously looking for a professional long term career in
country music are invited to apply.
Toyota Star Maker is organised and promoted by Rural Press Events,
publishers of Country Music Capital News.
Entry forms are available by writing to PO Box 3520, West Tamworth
NSW 2340, by telephoning 02 6762 2399 or by emailing
starmaker@ruralpress.com . Entry forms can also be
downloaded from the Toyota Star Maker page at
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Print out and have
the memories
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Tamworth
Rage Page
